New Panasonic Lenses on the Way: Lumix G 12-35mm 2.8 II, 12-60mm Leica, and More

At CES 2017 Panasonic has started to show off some new MFT lenses, which by no coincidence pairs nicely with their recent reveal of the Lumix GH5 specs. In this video, a rep from Panasonic goes over the details of the new lenses, some of which are updates to existing models. I'll list the all of the lenses and include what's new about them in the full post.

There are five lenses in total, and four of them are newer versions of current lenses you can buy right now. Here's the list:

All of these lenses will support the new dual IS 2 system that can be found in the GH5 (and also the G85) and are advertised to have better weather sealing, so freeze-proof, splash-proof, and resistant to dust. Lastly, they have a new finish, sort of a gun-metal black.

The only other noted difference is that these will have smoother aperture variance when doing things like zooming, an issue that current lenses do exhibit a bit. In the video, the Panasonic rep does note that the lenses are very similar to the previous version from a build standpoint, especially considering that older lenses will be able to have their firmware updated to utilize the new dual IS 2.

If you currently own the version I of these lenses, it might not be worth it to upgrade unless the exposure variance bothers you. Otherwise, just update your firmware and you're good to go. The version I lenses have dropped in price a bit as well, in case you're in the market and don't need the latest and greatest.

Mike Wilkinson is an award-winning video director with his company Wilkinson Visual, currently based out of Lexington, Kentucky. Mike has been working in production for over 10 years as a shooter, editor, and producer. His passion lies in outdoor adventures, documentary filmmaking, photography, and locally-sourced food and beer.